Lamp.



E; C. CORADO.

LAMP.

APPLICATION FILED JAN-2. I917.

Patented. Dec. 18,1917.

ITED g mme PATENT OFFICE.

EDWARD oHARL s"conendorivnncouvnn, BRITISH coLUMB A, CANADA.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDW RD CHARLES (39mm, of the city of Vancouver, inv the Province of British Columbia, Dominion ofv Canada, railway-official, have inventedcer: tain new and useful Improvements I in Lamps; and I do hereby declarethat the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof. My invention relates particularly to hydro-carbon burning lamps and more particularly the burners of the oil lamps used on railway switches. It has for its object to provide a burner for this use which will promote complete combustion of the illuminant, enable a smaller wick to be used, thereby decreasing the amount of oil burned and reducing the charring of, the wick thereby saving labor, and owing to the small amount of oil burned, enabling a font of 'give nsize to carry oil for alonger period of illumination.

To this end the invention may be said briefly to consist of a cap. adapted to be sprung over the usual wick-conducting tube and burner body in which the wick-feeding sprocket is located, this cap being of particular construction toaugment the air supply to the burner and direct it to the point of combustion thus causing complete combustion and consequently a practically incandescent light. Another feature of the invention is a reinforcement for the wick-tube and wick-feeding sprocket, such reinforce ment having as a further feature an integral device through which the capillary attraction is supplemented and a greater tendency imparted to the illuminant to rise upwardly through the wick to the point of combustion and illumination. Another feature of the cap is that whilefirmly seated when sprung to position, it may be readilyremoved and the wick-tube and wick readily exposed without turning for the purpose of unscrewing it as in these burners as heretofore used, the

cap simply being lifted from place. Another feature of the invention is that the burner is provided with a slip tube to facilitate fitting when unscrewing the burner, thereby avoiding twisting of the wick; and it also allows adjustment of the flame to obtain focusing of it with relation to the lens.

For full comprehension, however, of my invention reference must be had toxthe accompanying drawings forming-a part of this Specification of Letters Patent. t t 13, 1917, Application filed January 2,1917. Serial No. 140,237.

specification in which similar reference ar c ers ind cate the same parts, and wherein 2-.- I

Figure 1 is averticalsectional view of the burner alone taken .on line Fig.2;

F1g, 2 is a fragmentary plan view of the burner, one half .of the cap being removed forpurposes of illustration; Fig. 3 is a detail plan .view partly in sect on of the reinforcement for the wick-tube and sprocket; Fig. 4 is a detail sectional View of a :p0r.-' tion of one side Of the contiguous portions of the burner and cap, the section being taken on line .6-6 Fig. 2; a Fig. 5 is a side elevation of the burner cap removed;

. Fig. 6 is a .diametrical seotiQ'nal view through a lamp equipped with my improved burner, the section being taken on line 47-4 F;1g. 2, and drawn to a smaller scale; and Fig.7 s a detail transverse sectional view of one of'the deflectors, taken on line 97-9 Fig. 1. i v

The front 19 illustrated and in fact the entire design of lamp is adapted for use in rallway swltch stands and my invention is directed primarily: 'to the, improvement of lamps for this particular purpose. This font carries a burner with its wick-tube '0: and sprocket-wheel d the teeth of which enter the tube and engage the wick, while the wheel is mounted on a shaft 6 carried in perforatlons in the wall of the burner body in the form of a box 7 with diminished and screw-threaded bottom .9 and a top or cover it rigidly fastened in place, the cover-and? bottom being provided with air-holes i. "A collar j is mounted rigidly on the shaft close to'but out .of contact with the burner body and the outer end of the shaft has the usual thumb-wheel on it by which the adj ustment of the wick through the medium of thesprocket and shaft is effected. At four equi-distant points around this burner body are spring clips m formed integrally. with the bottom section of the body and extended upwardly in .ogee curvatureI The upper end. of the wick-tube is inclosed by a cap it of varying cylindrical cross,-

section, andhavin-g a skirt 0 adaptedtoxbe tings Z of circular form, and bent upwardly as at p and horizontally toward each other at a point substantially midway between the top of the wick-tube and the top of the cap, thus presenting deflectors the tips of which are spaced a distance apart approximately equal to the outside diameter of the wicktube, and a slot r out almost completely across the top of the capis equal in width to the space between the tips of the de flectors. The sides of the cap between the openings formed by cutting out the deflectors, are provided at each side with three parallel circumferential slits 8 thus securing the maximum air intake without impairing the rigidity of the cap. The bottom of the skirt is notched at diametrically opposite sides as at t to straddle the shaft 6 as will be seen by reference to Fig. 7 When the cap is sprung into place the skirt bears against the collar 7' and acts as a brake retarding the rotation of the shaft and elfectively preventing movement of the wick up or down under the influence of vibration, gravity or too much draft. Although notches are provided at opposite sides of the cap only one is in use at a time but the two are provided so that the cap will be reversible. By cutting out the portions Z of the sides of the cap and turning them up to form deflcctors as just mentioned the effect is that a head 15 is formed on the cap when viewed at right angles to the diametrical plane bisecting these openings and the tube as shown in Fig. 4, such head being constituted by the upper portion of the wall and the top of the cap. The deflectors serve also as bafflers causing the air entering the cap at the top of the. openings to circle around these bafflers and be directed into the flame in the space between the deflectors and flectors and only that portion of this air current which would otherwise rise parallel to the flame and be lost is caused by the bafHer-action of the deflectors to enter the head 15 and be directed into the flame at a higher stratum. The burner is in this manner provided with a duplex air supply and combustion is thereby obtained which pro duces practically perfect incandescence. The advantage of the cap, irrespective of its greater efliciency arising from its structural features, is that when removed the wick can be readily and quickly trimmed and the top of the tube easily cleaned of any carbon or other foul matter which may have accumulated thereon.- The cap itself is also easily cleaned. As exposed lamps in the vicinity of the railway right-of-way are of a necessity subjected to deposits from the smoke of passing locomotives it is extremely important that the fittings be easily cleaned which is the case with lamps constructed according to the present invention.

The wick-tube, sprocket and shaft are reinforced by a sleeve 2 clasping the tube and extending upwardly through the burner body to the top thereof, such sleeve being open at one side and flanged as at 3 to flank the sprocket; the flanges being notched as at 4: to straddle the shaft 6. One side of the lower end of the tube is extended downwardly in an oblique direction to present a lug 5 having a hole 6 corresponding in diameter to the bore of the wick-tube. This lug has the end of the wick passed through it and knotted as at 14 in order that it may be suspended fromrthis lug and the bottom of the tube in the form of a loop with its sides in close contact, thereby increasingthe capillary action and imparting to the illuminant a greater tendency to rise through the wick in the tube to thepoint of combustion and illumination. Heretoforc, a serious dis-- advantage of lamps of this nature has been that the sprocket has been more or less easily put out of engagement-with the wick by the shaft being struck or sudden pressure otherwise accidentally or surreptitously applied to it, the tube being distorted at the same time. This is rendered practically impossible by the reinforcement sleeve which is made suflicientlystrong to withstand such rough usage; If necessary when the wick gets so short that the bottom of the'loop will not reach the oil, the knotted end-in the lug can be united and a short piece of wick suh stituted which will serve the same purpose. In order to facilitate the filling of the font without unscrewing the burner, I provide a slightly tapered slip-tube 7 having a cap 8 with a central opening carrying a bushing 9 into which the screw-threaded lower end 9 of the burner-body is received,

the edge of the cap being flanged as at 10; A sleeve 12 is fixed in the top of the font and serves as a guide or seat for the sliptube. The burner 1s prevented from becoming over-heated by ports 2' and any heat accumulated is prevented from reaching the font by a series of ventilator-ports 20 in the upper portion of the slip-tube and ports 21 registering therewith in the seat 12 above I the font. The heat of the burner causes an inward draft through the ports 21 and 20 and upwardly throughports 2' in the burnerbody and the air currents are supplemented and the temperature thereof slightly raised thereby, this latter effect being due to the air picking up heat from the portion of the tube and the reinforcement sleeve within the burner-body. Thisconnection between the burner and the fontpermits the burner to beremoEved-from the latter without turn ing it, as would be necessaryifitrequired to be unscrewed, which has the advantage of avoiding the twisting of thevwick; and another advantage'is that the burner. may be readily and quickly separated from the font' thus permittingthe latter to be re filled, and. it permits adjustment of the burner so that it can be focused morevnearly the center of thelens. 'By using the slip tube the font is provided with a large-mouth which is important inith-at-it permits of ready access to the interiol'fl thereof for cleaning purposes.

A switch-lamp :constructed according to the foregoing obtains, as before mentioned, practically complete combustion thereby securing incandescence with a decreased expenditure of oil; and as there is less charring of the wick, labor is saved. Furthermore, on account of the comparatively small amount "of oil burned the ordinary font will carry oil for a considerably longer time and in this way there is also a saving of labor as these lamps require less attention either for trimming or filling. This burner is especially adapted to long-time burning lamps and particularly in cases where the lamps are allowed to burn day and night in order to avoid the cost of labor in putting them out every morning and lighting them again at night.

hat I claim is as follows 1. In a lamp for railway switches and the like, the combination with a wick carrier; of a cap inclosing and extending above the same and having air inlets; a pair of deflectors at diametrically opposite sides within the cap above the air inlets and adapted to deflect air to the point of combustion and the top of the cap having an opening, said deflectors projecting upwardly toward said opening and above the top of the wick carrier, the portions of the top at each side of the said opening coacting with the deflectors in directing a portion of the air currents to the zone of combustion in a higher stratum between the'deflectors and the top of the cap, substantially as vdescribed.

2. In a lamp for railway switches and the like, the combination with a wick carrier; of a cap of varying cylindrical crosssection with closed and transversely slotted top and having parts of its diametrically opposite sides partially separated therefrom and turned up within the same to form deflectors, and the sides of the cap between the said partially separated portions having parallel circumferential slits, substantially as described.

3. Ina lamp for railway switches and the like, the combination with a. wick carrier, having a series of upwardly extending spring-clips; of a cap of varying cylindrical cross section with closed and transversely slotted top and having parts Ofits diametrically opposite sides partially sepa rated therefrom. and turned up within the same to form deflectors, and the sides of the cap between the said partiallyseparated portions having parallel circumferential slits; the said cap. having a skirt slitted-ili juxtaposition with the spring-clips and adapted to be. sprung over the said carrier and within the clips and held by the latter, the slits in the skirt perm ittingthe latter to straddle the clips. .7 a 11' 4. In a lamp for railway switches and the like the combination with an illuminant carrier, having a series of upwardly extending. spring-clips, and a rotatable illuminant supply regulator, of a cap of varying cylindrical cross-section with closed and transversely slotted top and having parts of its diametrically opposite sides partially separated therefrom andturned up within the same to form deflectors, and the sides of the cap between the said partially separated portions having parallel circumferential slits; the said cap having a skirt slotted in juxtaposition with the spring-clips and adapted to be sprung over the said carrier and within the clips and held by the latter, the slits in the skirt permitting the latter to straddle the clips, and said cap being constructed and arranged to act as a brake retarding th rotation of the illuminant supply regulator, substantially as described.

5. In a lamp for railway switches and the like, the combination with a font and a burner mounted therein with a wick-tube, of means whereby the wick is supported in loop form with the sides of the loop in intimate contact with each other, said means consisting of a sleeve encircling the wick tube and having a downwardly projecting lug adapted to receive the inner end of the wick, substantially as described.

6. In a lamp for railway switches and the like, the combination with a wick-carrier and a wick feeding device, comprising a tube, a shaft, a sprocket-wheel mounted rigidly on the shaft with its teeth registering within the tube during rotation, of means reinforcing the tube and sprocket consisting of a sleeve embracing the tube and split at one side and flanged with its flanges straddling the shaft and flanking the sprocket,

and one side of the lower end of the said sleeve being extended downwardly and obliquely and having an opening therethrough for receiving and retaining one end of the wick with the opposite end thereof passed upwardly through the tube, substantially as described.

7. In a lamp for railway switches and the like comprising a burner with a cap sprung thereover, the combination with the Wick carrier, a wick feeding device comprising a tube, a shaft, and a sprocket Wheel mounted rigidly on the shaft with its teeth registering within the tube during rotation, of means for stiffening the rotation of the shaft consisting of a collar mounted upon the shaft pressing against the cap.

8. In a lamp for railway switches and the like, the combination with a font having a relatively large mouth with a collar mounted rigidly therein, of a slip-tube of downwardly slightly tapered form seated in the collar and extending to within close proximity of the bottom of the font, having a cap mounting, substantially as described and for the purpose set forth. In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two witnesses. 1 r I EDWARD CHARLES CORADO. Witnesses:

J. H. JEFFREY, C. R. HODGDON.

Gopies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Eatentcs,

Washington, D. C. 

